


Perfect Storm

by sapphire2309



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-16
Updated: 2014-01-16
Packaged: 2018-01-08 23:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1138519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphire2309/pseuds/sapphire2309
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tahiti's magic breaks down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Perfect Storm

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS till 1x10
> 
> WARNING: Obscure references to undefined form of torture.
> 
> Written for the fandom_stocking challenge, for fruitbat00 (on Dreamwidth)
> 
> As creepily as it fits into the story of 1x11, I swear I didn't watch 1x11 before writing this. O.O
> 
> Title from Dark Horse by Katy Perry

_It's a magical place._

He's tempted to give Raina that canned answer he's been giving everybody, even himself. 

He doesn't, even though it's much easier than hammering on doors that his mind has closed off (willingly, unwillingly, he can't tell) and expecting the secrets hidden there to politely open up and welcome them in with smiles and lemonade.

_It's a magical place._

There's no such thing as good or bad magic. The most nefarious kind of magic can be used for a good purpose, which makes it good, despite the fact that it's inherently bad.

It's all about how it's wielded.

Or welded, in his case. Those four words, magical (if magic is treachery), welded together, welded into his mind, cling with a tenacity that has to be felt to be believed.

Maybe they're keeping all those doors closed.

_It's a magical place._

He remembers fragments, pieces, but none of them come with any memory of time. 

It's difficult to talk about the day after you died when all you've got is six pieces of a puzzle that you can't make sense of - is the big picture really big, or is it relatively small?

_It's a magical place._

He's not sure what to feel. Pain, obviously, but that's more of a sensation than an emotion. Fear, probably, considering his situation, but that's reactionary.

What he really feels, once all this is gone, is hope. Hope, that maybe he'll finally find out what his mind and a clearance level are keeping away from him.

The worst part might well be not knowing.

_It's a magical place._

Coulson thinks he's losing his mind.

The doors breaking down and releasing their potentially deadly secrets could be it. Or just the sheer amount of time he's been battering away at them for has broken other parts of his mind.

_It's a magical place._

Tahiti. Everything, and nothing.

_It's a magical place._

Magical, indeed.

_It's a magical place._

_It's a magical place._

_It's a magical...place._

Back on the bus, surrounded by the family he hand-picked, his mind comes back to him. Slowly, because disappearing into a mental Tahiti has its consequences. Carefully, because doors that were built to protect him are broken. 

He listens, waits for that familiar refrain to start up again.

It doesn't.

Tahiti's magic is gone, because it isn't hidden anymore. It's out in the open, for him to see, and while that truth is painful, he can carry it with him, right next to his scar.

It's not unbearable.


End file.
